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On Second Thought For Wednesday, February 22, 2017
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We dedicate our entire show to the way Southerners speak.
Where did y’all come from? We can trace the use of the word “y’all” all the way back to our colonial ancestors. Cameron Hunt McNabb, an English professor at Southeastern University, gives us a history and dialect lesson.
Plus, The Atlantic staff writer Vann Newkirk II makes the case for why “America Needs Y’all.”
We talk with a panel of film experts to analyze the impact on Southern cinema, as well as how Southern filmmaking has changed today. From “Gone with the Wind” to “Selma,” what stereotypes of the South still show up on film today? Our panel includes Emory University film professor Eddy von Muller, film location scout Kalena Boller, and Savannah film producer Stratton Leopold.
Southern dialect is full of surprises, easy to recognize and hard to imitate – just ask Kevin Spacey. Will Southerners’ style of speaking disappear altogether one day? We’re joined by two linguists to discuss the nuances of Southern accents and efforts to preserve twangs, slang and dialect.
Finally, we hear from linguist James Harbeck. He’s not a psychic, but he thinks he has how we’ll talk in the future all figured out. What words and speech behaviors will prevail and which will be history?
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